Just as solid structural pillars form a strong foundation for the barn, these seven pillars of calf raising are powerful steps to help build a solid foundation for the future milking herd.

Your cows may not have a crystal ball, but monitoring technology used during the dry period may provide valuable information that can be used to predict the risk of potential health disorders that could affect lactation performance post-calving. Considering dry cows often are “out of sight and out of mind,” monitoring technology can fill the gap by keeping tabs on them 24-7.

It would be handy to have a crystal ball at dry-off time. After freshening, will the cow produce high-quality colostrum that transfers needed antibodies to her calf? Will she freshen without mastitis?